The Gold Coast International Film Festival continues its tradition of spotlighting the best in Israeli cinema and Jewish film offering screenings of several award-winning films, each with its own unique focus.

ON THE MAP is the fast-moving, emotional, and awe-inspiring documentary of how the 1977 Maccabee Tel-Aviv basketball team that no one thought could win toppled the four-time defending Soviet team and put Israeli basketball firmly “on the map.” Featuring interviews with the Jewish-American athletes who made history, and pulse-pounding action of a high-stakes game with an incendiary political situation at the height of the Cold War. It is a film that honors Israeli heroes, mesmerizes fans of the game and captures the spirit of a nation triumphant and victorious against all odds. Q& A following the film with Director Dani Menkin and basketball star Tal Brody. Monday Nov. 14 at 7:30pm at Great Neck Squire Bow Tie Cinema. www.bit.ly/gciffonmap

THE LAST LAUGH doesn’t shy away from the taboo topic of humor, delving deep into pop-culture to find out where to draw the line. Pairing clips from films, performances, and interviews with top comedians (including Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Joan Rivers, Louis C.K., Chris Rock) and prominent Jewish leaders (Abraham Foxman, and Shalom Auslander) with an intimate portrait of Auschwitz survivor Renee Firestone, and rare archival footage of cabarets in concentration camps, the film weaves together a complete and thoughtful exploration into the question of what is and is not off-limits in comedy. Q&A following the film with Director Ferne Pearlstein and Producer Robert Edwards. Sunday Nov. 13 at 3:00pm at Great Neck Bow Tie Squire Cinema. www.bit.ly/gcifflastlaugh

THE WONDERFUL KINGDOM OF PAPA ALAEV is the story of Tajikistan's answer to the Jackson family. Nearly 80, Allo "Papa" Alaev rules his celebrated Bukharian folk music clan with an iron tambourine. As generations clash over new musical directions, competing personal interests and Papa's advancing age, the family show must go on—but who will lead the band? Set to a blazing tribal soundtrack, drama and drumbeats sing out from every entertaining exchange in this grand family affair. Q&A following the film with Director Noam Pinchas. Long Island Premiere Tuesday Nov. 15 at 7:30pm at Great Neck Squire Bow Tie Cinema. www.bit.ly/gciffpapa

JOE'S VIOLIN, the inspiring story of Joe Feingold, a 91-year-old Polish Holocaust survivor who donates his violin of 70 years to a local instrument drive, changing the lives of both a 12-year-old schoolgirl from the nation’s poorest congressional district, and unexpectedly, his own. Wednesday Nov. 9 at 8:00pm at Hillwood Recital Hall, LIU Post with Q&A with Brianna Perez and Kokoe Tanaka-Suwan, the student and teacher featured in the film. The event will also include a performance of music inspired by the film by the LIU Post String Ensemble with invited high school guest musicians, conducted by Professor Maureen Hynes. Sponsored by the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post. A second screening of the film will take place on Tuesday Nov. 15 at 11:30am at Great Neck Bow Tie Squire Cinema followed by Q&A with Joe Feingold. Sponsored by The Amsterdam at Harborside. www.bit.ly/gciffjoesviolin

The Festival will also pay tribute to legendary Israeli satirist, the late Ephraim Kishon with a special screening of his film THE POLICEMAN, Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film (1972). This good-hearted, bittersweet comedy, an Israeli cinematic classic will be followed by a Q&A with Dr. Amir Kishon, son of Ephraim Kishon and Director at Kishon Cultural Estate. Sunday Nov. 13 at 12:00pm at Great Neck Squire Bow Tie Cinema. www.bit.ly/gciffpoliceman

This year’s Gold Coast International Film Festival will take place from November 9 – 15, 2016 in venues throughout the north shore of Long Island. The Festival kicks off with a special sneak peek screening of Burn Your Maps, starring Jacob Tremblay (Room) and Academy Award nominee Vera Farmiga on November 10, 2016 at Soundview Cinema in Port Washington. On Saturday November 12, also at Soundview Cinemas, the Festival will host the Long Island premiere of Bang! The Bert Berns Story, a documentary narrated by Steven Van Zandt about the life and career of Bert Berns, the renowned 1960s songwriter/producer whose hits include “Twist and Shout”, “Piece of My Heart”, “Hang on Sloopy” and many more. A Q&A with Directors Brett Berns (Bert Berns' son) and Bob Sarles will follow the screening and Brett Berns will accept an Artist of Distinction Award from the Gold Coast Arts Center on behalf of his late father. Other standout films include the Long Island premiere of French movie-star Isabelle Huppert’s new film Things to Come, direct from the Toronto International Film Festival, Harry Benson: Shoot First, followed by a Q&A with the legendary photographer himself and On the Map, the incredible story of how the 1977 Maccabee Tel-Aviv basketball team toppled the four-time defending Soviet team and put Israeli basketball firmly on the map. Director Dani Menkin and Israeli basketball star Tal Brody will be in attendance for a Q&A.

The sixth anniversary of the not-for-profit Festival will feature over 60 films and dozens of filmmakers at screenings and events in venues throughout the Town of North Hempstead region, including Soundview Cinemas in Port Washington, the Bow Tie Cinemas in Great Neck/Port Washington/ Manhasset/ Roslyn, the Gold Coast Arts Center in Great Neck and the campus of LIU Post. Films this year showcase Hollywood’s best actors including Gabriel Byrne, Nathan Lane, Frank Langella, Melissa Leo, James Franco, Christina Applegate, Billy Crudup, Catherine Deneuve, Vera Farmiga, Jacob Trembly, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neil, Isabella Huppert, Alex Karpovsky, Rachel Brosnahan and many more industry stars. Award-winning feature films from the world’s most prestigious festivals (Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, Tribeca, Hamptons) will be screened, plus over 25 incredible short films, with Q&As with visiting shorts filmmakers.

New York filmmakers will be highlighted at this year’s Festival in our New York Spotlight program, a free event on the campus of LIU Post on Thursday November 10 at 11:30am that features short films by local filmmakers or about local subject matter. Lawrence Smith (Mad Riot Entertainment) and David Paterson (The Great Gilly Hopkins, Bridge to Terabithia) will lead a panel of many of the filmmakers screening their films during the program. Local filmmakers in attendance include Dale Arroyo, Gordon Grinberg, Neil Holland, Ramfis Myrthil, David Schneiderman and Max Stossel.

Over the past six years, the festival has brought the latest Hollywood hits and Indie favorites to standing room only audiences throughout the fabled Gold Coast of Long Island. Add A-list celebrities and unforgettable events to the mix and it’s easy to see why GCIFF has become the “go to” Festival for film buffs and the public (it is also the last major film festival on the East Coast before Awards season). The Festival is produced by the not-for-profit Gold Coast Arts Center.